These Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes are the perfect holiday treat! Rich, chocolatey cupcakes are topped with a festive red and white swirled peppermint frosting and finished with crushed candy canes for garnish. The combination of chocolate and peppermint is absolutely irresistible. Best of all, you don't need a mixer to make the cupcakes, making them easy enough for any holiday party or cozy winter baking day.
It's that time of year when I want peppermint in everything! After making chocolate peppermint brownies and peppermint cookies, I decided to make these Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes. They start with a deeply rich, moist dark chocolate cupcake made with coffee to intensify the cocoa flavor, then are topped with a beautiful red-and-white swirl of fluffy peppermint cream cheese frosting.
Finished with crushed candy canes, these cupcakes aren't just delicious, they're true showstoppers. They're easy to make, festive, and guaranteed to be a hit at holiday parties, cookie swaps, or cozy nights at home.
For more delicious peppermint recipes try my peppermint chocolate chip cookies, peppermint Oreo cookies or peppermint mocha cookies.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
- Deep Chocolate Flavor: Using a combination of Dutch-process cocoa and hot coffee maximizes the richness of the chocolate cake base.
- Perfectly Moist Crumb: This recipe relies on buttermilk and oil to keep the cupcakes incredibly moist and tender, ensuring they stay fresh for days.
- Irresistible Frosting: The peppermint buttercream is light, airy, and has the perfect balance of cool mint flavor without tasting artificial.
- Showstopper Presentation: The bright white frosting and glittering red candy cane pieces make these cupcakes look professionally baked and incredibly festive.
Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients
Peppermint Frosting Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa Powder: Use Dutch-process cocoa powder (sometimes labeled “processed with alkali”). It provides a darker, richer chocolate flavor and color compared to natural cocoa. You can use dark or regular cocoa powder as well.
- Hot Coffee: Do not skip this! The hot liquid blooms the cocoa powder, releasing maximum flavor, and it adds depth without tasting strongly like coffee. You can substitute with hot water, but the coffee really boosts the chocolate.
- Buttermilk: This is key for moisture and tenderness. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by mixing 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice, and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using. If don’t have buttermilk you can substitute with regular milk or plain yoghurt as well.
- Oil: Keeps these cupcakes super soft and moist. Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil or sunflower oil, nothing with a strong taste like coconut or olive oil.
- Peppermint Extract: Use pure peppermint extract, not mint or spearmint. A little goes a long way; start with the recommended amount and taste before adding more.
- Unsalted Butter (Frosting): Must be room temperature but still slightly firm. This ensures the buttercream whips up light and fluffy, rather than greasy.
- Cream cheese: Make sure to use room temperature brick style full fat Philadelphia style cream cheese
- Confectioners’ sugar: Also known as icing or powdered sugar. Make sure its sifted to prevent any lumps in the frosting.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Used to thin out the frosting.
- Red Gel food coloring: Used to color the frosting. I prefer gel food coloring since it's more vibrant and concentrated. You can use liquid food coloring as well, but you may need a larger quantity to achieve the same color.
Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten-Free: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking blend that contains xanthan gum.
- More peppermint: If you pperfer a tronger peppermint flavor add ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the cupcake batter along with the vanilla ectract.
- Chocolate Ganache Filling: Core the center of the cooled cupcake and fill it with a rich chocolate ganache before adding the buttercream.
- Less pepperminty Frosting: Swap out the peppermint extract for vanilla extract and rely solely on the crushed candy cane topping for the mint flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make these chocolate peppermint cupcakes.Preheat your oven to 350F(170C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Combine Wet Ingredients (Excluding Coffee): In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Add Hot Coffee: Carefully pour the hot coffee into the batter while mixing on low speed until smooth. The batter will be thin-this is normal.
Bake: Fill the liners ⅔ full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool: Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and confectioners’s sugar together until very thick. Add the heavy cream and peppermint extract. Your frosting should be spreadable and creamy
Divide the frosting in half, coloring one half red. Place them in two separate piping bags, snipping the ends. Put BOTH piping bags in a larger piping bag, fitted with a large piping tip. You want both tips of the frosting bags to come out of the large piping bag.
Decorate: Pipe the frosting onto the completely cooled cupcakes and immediately top with crushed candy canes or peppermint bark pieces.
Tips & Tricks for Perfect Cupcakes
- Mix the Hot Coffee Last: Combine your dry ingredients, wet ingredients (except coffee), and then mix in the hot coffee or water at the very end. This helps prevent overmixing the flour.
- Fill Evenly: Use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to fill the cupcake liners exactly ⅔ full. This ensures uniform size and prevents spills.
- Peppermint Goes a Long Way: Unlike vanilla extract peppermint extract is very strong. Make sure to use a measuring spoon to add and start with a small amount of extract and adjust to taste.
- Buttercream Temperature: If your frosting is too soft, chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes and then whip it again. If it’s too stiff, add heavy cream (1 teaspoon at a time) until smooth.
- Crush the Candy Canes Last: Crush your candy canes right before decorating. If they sit out too long, they can become sticky from moisture absorption.
FAQ's
This usually means they were either underbaked or there was too much leavening (baking soda/powder) relative to the flour. Ensure your oven temperature is accurate and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Make sure the cream cheese and butter are at room temperature, then beat them on high speed for 3-5 minutes. This step incorporates air into the frosting and is the key to a light, fluffy buttercream
Yes! Bake the cupcakes a day in advance and frost before serving for the freshest look.
These cupcakes will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, they taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving
Storage & Freezing
- Storage (Finished Cupcakes): Store frosted peppermint chocolate cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing (Cupcakes Only): Unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before frosting.
- Freezing (Frosting): Peppermint buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then re-whip it with a tablespoon of heavy cream to restore its fluffy texture.
More Holiday Recipes You Will Love
Recipe
Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
- 12 cup muffin pan
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (40 grams) dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) hot coffee
Strawberry Cream cheese frosting:
- 8 ounce ( 225 grams) cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 cups (345 grams) confectioners' sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream cold
- red gel food color
- 2-3 candy canes crushed into small pieces
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180C. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Stir together white sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl.
- Add the egg, buttermilk, neutral oil and vanilla extract and mix until well combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the hot coffee (batter will be thin). Do not overmix.
- Pour the prepared batter evenly into the cupcake liners until about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Peppermint Frosting:
- In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 2-3 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy.
- Add the butter, confectioners' sugar, peppermint extract and heavy cream. Beat on medium-high speed for 5-6 minutes or until fluffy and creamy.
- Divide the frosting in half, coloring one half red. Place them in two separate piping bags, snipping the ends. Put both piping bags in a larger piping bag, fitted with a large piping tip. You want both tips of the frosting bags to come out of the large piping bag.
- Pipe the frosting onto the completely cooled cupcakes and immediately top with crushed candy canes or peppermint bark pieces.Enjoy!
Notes
- Use Instant Coffee: If you don't have brewed coffee, dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant coffee in ½ cup of hot water. You can also substitute plain hot water if needed.
- Peppermint Extract: A little goes a long way. Start with a small amount and add more to taste.
- Food Coloring: Gel food coloring works best for vibrant red swirls. Liquid food coloring works too but may require more.
- Garnish: Add crushed candy canes right before serving so they stay crisp and don't melt into the frosting.
- Make Ahead: Cupcakes can be baked a day ahead and frosted just before serving.
Leave a Reply